Diafra Sakho's bizarre attempt to force a deadline day move away from the London Stadium sums up West Ham's start to the season pretty well.

The 27-year-old striker travelled to French club Rennes, passed a medical and agreed personal terms - all without the knowledge of the Hammers.

After the transfer failed, Sakho flew back to England, but not with hat in hand. Instead the Senegalese missed training to spend the day at Chelmsford racecourse watching his agent's horse win the 3.20 meet.

Late on deadline day he made a belated return to London to meet with his club's owners and somehow walked away with a new contract.

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The episode is symptomatic of a club in chaos where there is now a disconnect between fans, owners, management and players.

And turmoil behind the scenes has been reflected on to the pitch. Three losses, 10 goals conceded and bottom of the league - a three-game start in stark contrast to that of David Wagner's Huddersfield Town. There has never been a better time to play West Ham.

Former player Danny Gabbidon recently told a Hammers fan website: “From what I hear Slaven had pretty much thrown the towel in with the words he spoke in the dressing room to the players after the Newcastle defeat."

The ex-Wales defender also bemoaned the fractured relationship Bilic appears to have with the club's owners - David Sullivan and David Gold.

Danny Gabbidon (R) tracks down Aaron Lennon in his West Ham days

“Relationships seem to be at breaking point, comments about each other publicly, an obvious lack of trust and support. It almost doesn’t feel like the start of a season, much more like the end."

The crux of the confrontation between management and ownership seems to be about the club's transfer policy. It is doubtful whether Bilic has much say at all in the players the club recruits.

Summer signings like Javier Hernandez, Joe Hart, Marko Aunautovic and Pablo Zabaleta look good on paper - they are all high-profile internationals with tons of Premier League experience. But questions remain over whether they can address West Ham's needs.

Since the departure of Dimitri Payet West Ham have been inconsistent, sluggish and devoid of a creative spark. The first three games of the new campaign have only exacerbated fans' concerns.

With the exception of Henrandez, none of the players brought in to stop the rot have started the season particularly well.

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Marko Aunautovic - the strutting embodiment of inconsistency - will be banned for Town's visit to the London Stadium after a vicious elbow to the face of Southampton's Jack Stephens.

And 32-year-old Pablo Zabaleta - who gave away the penalty to cost the Hammers a point against the Saints - has done little to dissuade speculation that his legs are starting to go.

Meanwhile England stopper Joe Hart continues to look a shadow of his former glory - and seemingly unable to dive to his left.

With experienced heads such as Mark Noble unable to influence performances and Manuel Lanzini, Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew all doubts for Monday, Bilic must hope the returning Michael Antonio and the always-dangerous Javier Hernandez can muster the spark to overturn a Huddersfield Town side yet top concede a goal in the Premier League.